Emissions & Efficiency

Electrified tandem trailer axles?

Oct. 7, 2016

Here's a concept for you: replace a trailer's passive axle with a hybrid electric-powered package that helps capture energy lost during nominal operating conditions and turn it into more "oomph" when you need it.

Sean Kilcarr

Here's a concept for you: replacing a trailer's "passive" axle with one powered by an hybrid electric package that helps capture "wasted energy" during nominal operating conditions, such as when braking, stores that energy in a lithium battery pack, and then feeds it back into an electric motor to provide extra "oomph" for getting up hills, etc. End result: an average of 30% fuel savings for a tractor-trailer, at least according to this unusual trailer axle package manufacturer, Hyliion. (All photos by Sean Kilcarr/Fleet Owner)

About the Author

Sean Kilcarr | Editor in Chief

Sean previously reported and commented on trends affecting the many different strata of the trucking industry. Also be sure to visit Sean's blog Trucks at Work where he offers analysis on a variety of different topics inside the trucking industry.